I glanced down at Lorde, who had dropped into a sit and was watching me closely, her head tipping side-to-side with curiosity.
“Is he okay?” Lu asked, her anger still roiling around her, hot like a fire I wanted to draw up against, wanted to feel on my skin, my fingers, my lips. “Brogan, are you okay?” Her fingers drifted upward, hovering over the pocket watch hanging from that too-heavy chain on her too-delicate neck.
“No, don’t, Lu. Not now. It’s okay. Don’t waste the minutes.”
But she had that look on her face, jaw set with determination, eyes narrowed.
“Tell her no, Lorde. Lorde, tell her I’m okay. Tell her not to touch the watch.”
Lorde tipped her head, then she yipped and wagged her tail.
Lu paused. “Yes or no Brogan, and you’d better be pretty damn clear, because I’m about to tap in and kick some ass.”
Gods. Being dead made for messy communication.
“I need a favor,” I told Stella. “I need to tell my wife not to try to enter this realm.”
Stella was startled and curious about that statement, but remained silent.
“Three…” Lu warned.
“All I need you to do is trust me. I’m going to reach out and tell her we’re okay. It might sting, but I promise you, it won’t harm you or me. It’s temporary, okay?”
She nodded, which was weird since our heads were connected and I hadn’t moved mine.
“Two…”
“Thank you,” I said. “All right, so just hold real still, Stella. I’m going to stretch my thoughts and focus. Like I said, it will sting a little.”
“One…”
I pulled my thoughts, my will, my mind together, and imagined an arrow, a dart, a needle, bright and sharp, piercing through the air, puncturing it with a muted “tock,” opening that tiny space. And into that space, my thoughts, my will, my words burned bright, loud, full of my need, and the lonely want for her I could never hide.
“I’m okay.”
Distantly, I heard Stella hiss, the sting of me reaching out across yet another plane burning through us.
Lu’s breath hitched, her eyes opening, her mouth soft. “Brogan?”
Lorde yipped again, happy.
But Lu’s gaze was on me. Right on me. My voice had given her the exact position where I was standing, and she knew. Knew I was there.
“Hey, baby,” I said, even though she couldn’t hear me now. “I love you.”
She smiled, knowing I could see her. Knowing I was right there. “Hey.” She reached out, and I couldn’t help myself. I took her hand in mine.
Well, in mine and Stella’s.
“I got this,” I told her. “We’re good.”
Lorde got up and sniffed a circle around our feet, then sat, tail wagging.
“If that ghost is giving you a problem, let me know. I have salt and iron in the duffle, not to mention a few other items.”
Stella jerked at that, but I soothed her. “She’s joking. Well, she’s not joking. She really has those things in her duffle. But she wouldn’t use them unless I told her to. How’s the sting?”
Stella refocused on our condition. “Better,” she said.
